Viral hepatitis C remains one of the most actual problems of the healthcare in the world. A large quantity of infected persons (almost 200 million persons), a high risk of developing chronic infection (60-80%) which results in hepatic cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma (15-25%), the development of systemic extrahepatic lesions of human organs and tissues, and the lack of a vaccine for the prevention of the development and spread of the infection are the reasons for the development of effective treatment of hepatitis C [Abdurakhmanov D. T. Prospects of the treatment of chronic hepatitis C.//The Clinical Hepatology, 2010; 3:3-11]
Modern therapy of hepatitis C with pegylated interferon α2a or a2b in combination with ribavirin makes it possible to produce a sustained virologic response (SVR) in 54-73% of cases. [Ivashkin V. T., Lobsin Ju. V, Storozhakov G. I. et al]. Efficiency and safety of 48-week therapy with pegylated interferon α2a and ribavirin was demonstrated for newly-admitted patients with chronic hepatitis C [Clin. Pharm. Ther., 2007, 16(1), 1-5]. In case of infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) subtype 1b, which prevails in Russia, the percentage of effective therapy significantly decreases and is of 40-50%.
Thus, there is a need for the development of more effective, affordable, and economically viable agents and schemes of the treatment of hepatitis C, which have fewer side effects.
The present inventors have unexpectedly found that glutaryl histamine can be used for the treatment of hepatitis C. With that, glutaryl histamine has an antiviral effect against hepatitis C virus, used both alone and in combination with pegylated interferon and ribavirin.
Previously, glutaryl histamine was not supposed to be used for the treatment of viral hepatitis. Furthermore, a combination of glutaryl histamine with pegylated interferon and ribavirin previously was not known.
Thus, the objective of the present invention is to provide new agent for the treatment of hepatitis C, and a combination of medicaments that have an enhanced efficiency in the treatment of viral hepatitis C in comparison with the most effective combination of medicaments used before the present invention.